A New Dawn, A New Day
by Hannahmayski
Summary: Genma and Raidou accidentally become parents to five kids, fight the Konoha leadership and gain the begrudging respect of the Shinobi population all because Genma can't say no to small children.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: The first time Genma lets a small, wandering, child tuck themselves against him and let her stay the night Raidou doesn't say anything.**

 **He opens the door wider to let them both in, grabs the spare blankets from the cupboard and the extra mattress under the bed and thinks about who has clothes small enough to fit the little girl that they can borrow from.**

 **Or**

 **Genma and Raidou accidentally become parents to five kids, fight the Konoha leadership and gain the begrudging respect of the Shinobi population all because Genma can't say no to small children.**

 **This is my first Naruto fic, enjoy!**

The first time Genma lets a small, wandering, child tuck themselves against him and let her stay the night Raidou doesn't say anything.

He opens the door wider to let them both in, grabs the spare blankets from the cupboard and the extra mattress under the bed and thinks about who has clothes small enough to fit the little girl that they can borrow from.

Genma finds out the little girl's name is Tenten.

He pulls the near snapping hair lackeys from her hair and methodically brushes out the knots as gently as he can.

Raidou finds the smallest shirt they have and wraps her up in it despite it almost reaching the ground and hanging from her scrawny shoulders.

Genma tucks the kid into the makeshift bed and leans back to look Raidou in the eye.

They're not the best parents but they'll make do.

The second time Genma and Raidou adopt a child is when Genma comes home after a mission. This time covered in bruises, blood and sweat clinging to too pale skin and the tatters that's left of his Jounin uniform and clutching a bundle of child to his chest. The process is a little less graceful the second time.

Raidou opens the door wider just as Genma's legs give out Raidou curses harsher than he has in years as he lunges, throws out one arm to wrap around Genma's chest, stopping him and the child from hitting the ground the other hand grasping the back of the mess that is Genma's flak jacket, keeping him in place.

The child's yellow hair is a stark contrast against Genma's bloody and ruined uniform and the exhausted look of pain in Genma's eyes makes a lot more sense.

They might not be the best parents or the best people…

But their Yondaime was a kind man and Naruto never deserved to be abandoned like they abandoned him.

The third time Genma and Raidou adopt a child is a little different.

It's raining when it happens. Sheets of water pouring in the heaviest rainfall they've had all season.

They're both cooking a quick meal for the two of them and the light of their lives, Naruto and Tenten, playing in the bedroom when there is a tap on the window sill - soft but urgent.

Raidou removes the seals on the window and isn't quick enough to catch Shisui Uchiha as he tumbles into their house - one eye missing and his face a mass of bruises and recently dried blood - quickly followed by Itachi who's pale, shaking and panicking.

Genma picks Shisui up from the floor, cradling the boy's head to his chest and carefully moves him on to the carpet in front of the couch and gets to work, healing what he can.

Raidou wraps his arms around Itachi, rubbing his back in slow, methodical circles as overdue tears begin to pour.

Raidou doesn't leave until Itachi is fast asleep on the makeshift bed they'd originally used for Tenten – too exhausted to stay awake and Genma's stabilised Shisui and wrapped him up in blankets on their bed with Naruto and Tenten cuddling him on either side. "Don't worry Gen" Tenten says as she wraps her small body around Shisui's left side. "He's hurt pretty bad, but cuddling will definitely help make him feel better!"

Naruto very carefully fits his small hand into Shisui's larger one holding on as though it's the only thing keeping Shisui alive. "We'll look after him Genma!"

Danzo never gets his hands on Shisui's other eye and neither of Shisui or Itachi leave Raidou and Genma's house for the next few days.

Raidou goes to the Hokage's office that night and isn't seen until hours afterwards - an apologetic and embarrassed Sandaime and Fugaku trailing after him when he finally emerges. Raidou never says what happened that night to anyone but his kids and Genma.

The rest of the Shinobi population can assume all they want but everyone knows a crisis was avoided that night.

The next morning dawns with two additions to the household and a new respect among Konoha leadership for two Shinobi that Konoha had chronically underestimated.

The next morning dawns and sheds light onto to Shisui's glazed over eye and battered body and Itachi's exhausted slumber. Genma leans over from his position perched on the edge of the bed to brush hair out of Itachi's face and can't bring himself to fully respect the Sandaime like he once did.

Shisui and Itachi begin to spend more time at the two ex-ANBU's apartment than anywhere else. No one brings it up or takes issue. After all, dealing with Genma and Raidou just doesn't seem worth the bloody and painful repercussions of protective Shinobi mother-hens.

For such terrible parents it seems they're doing awfully good job.

The fourth time they adopt a child there is significantly less insubordination and blood involved but more than enough brainwashing and child assassins involved to make up for it.

It's two in the morning, Itachi and Shisui are asleep on the couch and Naruto and Tenten are tucked in between the two boys, small hands grasping clothes and hair in an attempt to chase away any nightmares that would be brave enough to plague the older boys - an idea that Naruto had deemed flawless.

Genma is curled under the blankets of their shared bed, his back pressed against Raidou's own when the knock at the door comes. Genma jerks from the covers, a kunai in hand, he removes himself from the bed and makes his way to their door.

The Sandaime stands in the hallway and once upon a lifetime Genma would've felt humbled by the man's presence and perhaps embarrassed by his state of dress but now all Genma can see is Shisui's bloodied face covered in so many painful bruises and the monster he almost turned Itachi into and how Itachi was going to do it.

He doesn't say this of course. He bows politely because first and foremost he is a Konoha Shinobi and Konoha owns him - in body and soul.

The Sandaime, accompanied by Inoichi Yamanaka shove a small boy into his arms. His pale skin makes him to look ill in the faded yellow light of the hallway and dark eyes that look at Genma's own are so full of pain he instinctively grips the little boy tighter.

He can feel Raidou's presence behind him and Shisui and Itachi have definitely woken up, their chakra flattening, shrinking in uncertainty.

Inoichi steps forward, his face pulled into a frown that seems semi-permanent these days and explains - Danzo had been making child puppet soldiers, this is the youngest, we couldn't save his brother, do your best.

That morning, Genma and Raidou introduce a new child to the household that's definitely getting too small and loose the rest of their faith in the Sandaime.

They might not be the best parents - too much assassin in them and not enough love - and only a handful of years older than Itachi and Shisui but Tenten smiles more than she ever did, Naruto doesn't flinch away from hugs and his personality lights up the room. Itachi doesn't look so torn and broken and scared when he's sitting on the couch watching Sasuke play with the two kids and his best friend planted to his side. Shisui's laughter is as bright as ever and his determination to get back to active duty despite losing an eye drives them all forward with a ferocity Genma and Raidou can't help but admire. Sai's quiet determination to learn, his hesitant but increasingly frequent smiles warm all their hearts. They might not be the best parents but their kids are happy, their kids are doing okay and there's nothing that matters more than that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Set during the night when Shisui and Itachi came to Genma and Raidou's house.**

 **Raidou stops a Lot Of Drama basically.**

* * *

There were several things Raidou had told himself he would never do. And right now he'd broken about three of them. Never work against the Hokage. Stay out of complicated inter-clan politics. Keep your head down.

The moon shines in the sky helping along his well-trained eyes not to trip on anything despite the cloud cover. He leaps from one building to the next letting only just enough chakra leak to his feet and fingers to stick. The ANBU mask feels suffocating and sweat clings to his face despite the rain soaking him to the skin. He folds himself around a fence with more boneless-ness than a man his size should possess and lands in the Inuzuka compound.

There are some dogs to the far left regarding him quietly. They know his scent and Raidou silently thanks Genma for managing to befriend the entire village.

He moves to the head's house letting his chakra flare just enough that Tsume will be awoken and hopefully no one else would.

Raidou leaps up to the window sill and raps his knuckles against the glass.

The silence is defining and the eyes of the canines behind him almost make him want to twitch. The seals on the window flare and disable themselves. Raidou wanders what he must look like. A lone ANBU on a window sill in the dead of night in the torrential downpour spells out bad news only and maybe that's why Tsume doesn't smile as he slides in the room nor when he pulls off the mask.

He takes a deep breath and begins the story.

* * *

The Hokage had a right to be wary of the uprising among the Uchiha. Distrust that managed to run deep through the entire clan was just asking for a civil war.

But the Uchiha had been blamed for the Kyuubi attack and left to suffer the suspicious glances and poorly hidden whispers from the rest of the population.

Someone had to be blamed and the Uchiha were the closest targets.

Something had to be done but forcing such responsibility onto the backs of two teenagers was not one of them.

The look on Itachi's face after the two of them hauled themselves through their window was that look older veteran shinobi tended to get after watching too many of their comrades die. Hollow and full of shock.

Raidou bows to Hiashi. He's not sure what convinces the man. Neither Raidou nor Genma were known for rash decision making or exaggeration, likely playing a role in his decision. Hiashi levels him with a look and sighs.

If the issue is going to be resolved, the Uchiha need to change but Konoha does too, and Hiashi for all his stubbornness understands that.

He stands up and regards Raidou with a look that he's become far too familiar with.

"Something was going to break eventually with the way the system is," Hiashi says. "And, I suppose this is the break."

He is silent for a moment and looks out of the window into the night. "We've let this hate brew for far too long and it's turned into this" he gestures around him. "It was… brave… of you to come to me, but you have a point. If Konoha is going to remain strong we need to change, but so does the Uchiha."

Raidou nods almost impeccably and disappears out the window.

* * *

Shibi stares at him a for a painfully long moment.

He glances back inside the house and Raidou wanders what he's thinking. About his little boy, Shino. About the little children in the Uchiha compound that were a hair width away from being slaughtered.

Or maybe none of that.

He turns back to Raidou "Itachi and Shisui are alright, then?"

Raidou nods. He's not really sure, he thinks about Itachi breaking down into tears and almost hyperventilating himself into unconsciousness. He thinks about Shisui's bloodied face and his eye that's missing.

They'll be alright, but not right now.

Shibi seems to understand and he doesn't press further.

"I'll go then," Shibi says and glances back at the house one more time. "No innocent children will die tonight." The last sentence is quiet and Raidou almost misses it.

* * *

Shikaku sighs and runs a hand through his hair and gives Raidou a once over.

"Smart, to get the clan heads on your side. Hokage can't ignore your point if all of us are backing you up." He sticks his hands in his pockets and tilts his head slightly, the light of the porch illuminating the scars on his face.

"Risky though."

Raidou doesn't say anything. He's gone through the scenario a hundred times over in his head and this is the best he could come up with. It's risky, yes.

He's ANBU and ANBU are loyal to their Kage. And here Raidou is, trying to stop his Hokage. It's risky but he's weighed it up.

If losing his career as a shinobi means saving Shisui, Itachi and every other Uchiha and prompt Konoha into fixing the problem that's been ignored for years then it's worth it. He'll hate it with every part of him, but Itachi was under orders to _murder his entire clan_ and Shisui got his eye torn out of his head as he'd tried to stop the Uchiha coup d'état by _Danzou_ and neither of those things can be ignored.

Shikaku seems to see right through Raidou's thoughts and he nods.

"Damn ANBU…" he mutters and Raidou can't find it in him to see the humour. He disappears as quickly as he came.

* * *

The Akimichi are strangely easy to convince. Chouza looks at Raidou and searches for something, what exactly, Raidou isn't sure.

Maybe it helped that Genma was on Chouza's Genin team.

The head lets out a bone-weary sigh and rubs a hand through his wild red locks and apparently finds whatever he was looking for in Raidou's eyes.

"Danzou really…" Chouza trails off an exhausted glint in his eyes.

"He stole Shisui's eye and poisoned him," Raidou repeats and the words still feel alien on his tongue. Shisui is an adult in the eyes of the law, but through the eyes of everyone else, he is but a child. No one should be put under that much pressure that Shisui was under.

Chouza nods and reaches for his chest plate that's been sitting on the kitchen bench. "Genma has it under control then," it isn't a question. Genma's been a field medic for years and it's too risky to be moving Shisui at the moment when Danzou may come back to finish the job. Genma's a good judge. Shisui and Itachi will be fine with him.

"Well, we know Konoha has fallen to its knees when even the _ANBU_ are questioning the politics of it all," Chouza says and slowly pulls the armour over his clothes.

"I'll meet you at the Hokage office."

Raidou nods and slides out the window he came in.

* * *

Inochi stares him down and looks very tempted to check Raidou's memories to see if he's telling the truth.

"You are the last one, Yamanaka-sama," Raidou says.

He knows it's a shock, but he doesn't have time to deal with a stare off at the moment. He needs to get this matter sorted. He needs to get the Hokage to stop being useless and do something about Danzou. He needs the Uchiha to pull their heads out of the clouds and realise what the repercussions were to staging a coup d'état truly are.

He wants the Hokage and the Uchiha to realise the path they almost pushed Shisui and Itachi down and he wants to make sure that mistake is _never repeated._

Mostly though, he wants to go home to Genma, Tenten, Naruto and the two new additions to house hold – permanent or temporary yet to be determined.

"Are the boys alright?" Inochi asks, already reaching for his uniform, clearly convinced.

Raidou remembers Shisui's unfocused gaze, the bleeding eye-socket and his panicked breathing as the poison wreaked havoc on his body.

Raidou remembers Itachi, brought to tears and buckling under the pressure of a world that spares no mercy for even the children.

He shrugs.

Inochi sighs and pulls his hair up into a pony tail. "Fair enough." He moves onto to tying his Hitai-ate around his head. "I'd feel the same in your position as well. As soon as I'm ready, I'll go the Hokage tower."

Inochi raises an eyebrow at Raidou's lack of words and movement and huffs. "I was hesitant to believe you at first, Namiashi but I assure you I will go. I don't want your wrath after me."

Raidou's not entirely sure what that means, but decides to ignore it. There are bigger issues at hand.

Raidou disappears out the door without saying another word.

* * *

The sun is gently illuminating the rooftops, glinting off the reflection of the water from the rainfall. Outside is peaceful and most of the shinobi population would only have a vague sense of trouble that was narrowly avoided this night.

Inside the Hokage building, remains a stale sent of tension and anger in the air.

Raidou forces himself not to yawn and glares across at Fugaku. Raidou's mask is off and just because Fugaku is clan head, does not mean he is suddenly capable of taking back the two shinobi's lives he, the Hokage and the Hokage's councilmen nearly _ruined._

He doesn't say anything, instead, letting his body language do the talking. The only person built stronger and bigger than him in the room is Chouza. And Raidou doesn't have any clan jutsu to assist him. He's taller than Fugaku as well. And Raidou's pretty sure he's not stupid enough to start wielding the Sharingan on him.

The Hokage sighs and rubs a hand across his face.

The heart of the matter resolved. Konoha's best trackers and Anbu have already been sent out to track down Danzou, and the coup has been prevented.

All that remains are the smaller, finer details that Raidou frankly wants no part in.

Chouza steps forward and levels the Sandaime and Fugaku with an impatient stare. "Shisui and Itachi came to Shiranui and Namiashi out of their own free will. It's probably best during this turbulent time that they stay somewhere they feel safe."

The words come off friendly enough, but there's thick and irreversible anger behind it that Raidou can't ignore. Chouza has known Genma longer than Raidou and knows what kind of person Genma is. And he'd never do something like this or let Raidou do something like this unless he thought there was absolutely no other way around it.

"Plus," Shikaku stands up from his tired position against the wall. "Namiashi and Shiranui are already looking after Naruto and another orphan. They obviously know what they're doing."

Fugaku growls and Tsume rises from her seat in the corner like a lion rising from its den and bares her canines. A low growl emits from her throat and it rumbles through the entire room.

Raidou's seen Inuzuka tear off hands and tear out throats with those teeth.

The entire room quietens and Tsume licks her lips like she's genuinely considering eating someone. "Forgive me for my inappropriate language, Hokage-sama," she says. The Sandaime looks waves her on, his face drawn into resignation at whatever other ridiculous insubordinate events might happen in his office for the next few hours and then try and write it all off as a bad day.

"You're a complete fucking _imbecile_ if you think anyone in this room is going to trust those two _children_ to you after this. After you tried to stage a fucking coup, putting everyone's lives at risk." Tsume doesn't directly address the Hokage, not stupid enough to yell at the leader of Konoha, but Raidou can hear the subtext. It's not insubordinate if you're subtle enough, a strategy Tsume has mastered.

Even if Danzou gave Itachi the orders to kill his clan, the Sandaime did nothing to stop it and if anything, Raidou thinks that's worse.

The Sandaime looks fifty years older, sitting at his desk with his robes gone and surrounded by infuriated clan heads. Raidou doesn't feel guilty. All of this could have been avoided if the Sandaime had handled Danzou when he first went off the rails.

He nods at Raidou tiredly as a dismissal, Tsume having said what everyone was thinking. Raidou offers a polite bow and, just like he'd been doing all night, disappears out the window without a sound.

He's surprised he got out of that with his status and dignity still firmly intact, but then again facts are facts. And tonight, everything had come to a startling halt, and the fact that the Sandaime had let Danzou continue Root because he wasn't strong enough to put a stop to Danzou, wasn't strong enough to fix the Uchiha situation before it led to this, almost drove Itachi to kill his entire clan and Shisui to nearly _die,_ are all too obvious to ignore any longer.

If the Hokage wants him, he can send for him. In the meantime, Raidou's going back to his family. Where he belongs.

* * *

 **Still a little unrealistic but hey, I had fun writing this!**

 **(I'm also writing something else for this one. Basically, Shisui has a nightmare but it's okay bc there are many people to hug him better. is that something you wanna see or not?)**

 **Comments are like gold!**


	3. Chapter 3

The first time Shisui screams himself awake is a few days after the incident with Danzou and of course, the first night that Itachi was unable to stay the night due to a mission.

Genma wakes to Naruto tugging at his shirt and tears streaming down his face, babbling incomprehensibly.

Genma runs his hands along Naruto's skinny shoulders, in an attempt to calm him but Naruto shakes his head furiously. He grabs Genma's hands and pulls him off the bed, Sai pulling along a half-asleep but as equally worried Raidou.

Genma catches the words 'Shisui' and 'nightmare' and curses violently to himself.

He and Raidou had expected nightmares at some point.

Almost a given considering the intense amount of stress Shisui had been under, and for the crisis point to be not only a fellow Konoha-nin but one of its strongest and powerful leaders to literally _tear Shisui's eye right out of his head._ He'd been mildly poisoned too, enough not to be lethal but enough for Shisui to be border lining on flat out delirious.

And of course Shisui's mind decided to wreak havoc on itself the night Itachi isn't sleeping close by.

Genma scoops Naruto into his arms, running his hand along his back in gentle circles. He walks out of their bedroom and walks down the hall, knowing Raidou is following. He pulls the other bedroom door open. Nightmares aren't uncommon for shinobi, but some are worse than others, and injuries coupled with painkillers can sometimes make them worse.

Shisui is sitting up, Tenten gripping him in a tight hug around his shoulders. Shisui trembles in her skinny arms, breathing coming out in short, stunted, unproductive gasps and his only remaining eye is staring out into a place that's definitely not in the present.

Raidou eases Naruto out of his hold and shuffles Sai and Naruto out of the room. He gives Genma a soft smile as he departs. Genma's better for dealing with this. Raidou will look after the kids.

Genma closes the gap between himself and Shisui's bed, placing one hand on Tenten's back, the other on Shisui's shoulder.

Genma gently tries to pull Tenten off of him as gently as he can and says "it's okay Tenten, you've done a really good job. I'll handle it from here."

Tenten detaches herself from Shisui slowly, hesitancy leaking off and worried tears threatening to fall. Genma considers letting her stay for a moment, but there's a haunted look in Shisui's eye, tear tracks all down his face and he's still digging his nails into the skin and bandages around his empty eye socket and he decides the kids don't need to see Shisui fall apart.

Genma places a kiss on Tenten's forehead. "You can come back in when Shisui feel better, okay? I promise." She nods and gives Genma a sharp look that he knows means that he better let her back in or she'll be very angry with him.

Genma sits next to Shisui on the bed and works at getting the breathing under control before he hyperventilates himself into unconsciousness and as gently as he can, he pulls Shisui's hand from his face.

Genma manoeuvres himself so he's sitting in front of Shisui and cups his face in his hands. "Shisui, deep breaths," Genma says.

The words do little. Shisui manages one shuddering breath that shakes his whole body even more but isn't able to take another one.

Genma changes his tone, while he doesn't like to bark orders at shinobi who are already freaking out, nine times out of ten it works and Shisui can't keep breathing like that.

"Uchiha, breath."

Direct orders always work, Genma notes solemnly as Shisui finally takes a breath that isn't shallow and manages to hold it. It gets caught in his throat and he coughs but he doesn't fall back into the useless breaths of before. After a few moments of coughing, panicked wheezes and Genma as a solid presence grounding him, he manages to get it under control.

He blinks harshly, shoulders still trembling and lists to the side. Genma grasps his shoulders and pulls Shisui over to rest against his chest.

Shisui doesn't say anything and Genma doesn't press. They sit like that for a while, Genma rubbing Shisui's back in slow patient circles while Shisui tries to pull the pieces back together.

"Lost my Mangekyo," Shisui says. The words are too quiet and sound like they're grating along sandpaper against Shisui's throat.

Genma hums in thought and reaches over to the nightstand, careful not to dislodge Shisui and grabs the glass of water.

"Not your fault though. No one blames you. And you didn't lose both."

The next breath gets caught in Shisui's throat, and he wipes aggressively at a tear that threatens to fall. "I'm supposed to be one of the strongest Uchiha but I fucked it up," these words are fast and panicked, Genma tightens his grip on him.

"I was gonna kill myself and I wasn't even that sad about it. I felt fucking _relieved."_

There it is.

There was something more to the story, both he and Raidou had figured that. But whatever it was that seemed to be causing Shisui so much pain and grief, likely wouldn't be revealed until something – such as this – happened. Raidou and Genma were just hoping they'd be there to catch him when it hit.

Genma knows he should feel surprised, shocked or maybe even horrified. But all Genma can find is bone-deep anger that this is what the world is now. There isn't a single part of Genma that's surprised and he's pretty sure that makes everything so, so much worse.

"Do you want to die now?" Genma asks. He knows Shisui's parents are dead. Have been dead for years. He knows that Itachi is the only person who'd actively look for Shisui if he didn't show up one day. Before they'd both tumbled into their house that fateful night, Itachi would've been the only person to mourn _Shisui._ Everybody else would've mourned Uchiha prodigy.

Everybody else would've seen Shisui Uchiha's suicide as an unfortunate event and move on.

Shisui pulls himself up enough from Genma's chest just enough to look at him, and Genma meets his gaze.

Genma's not going to let Shisui's name become nothing more than a statistic, nothing more than a number, a name on the memorial stone, another shinobi who couldn't take the pressure.

"I don't know," Shisui says and he ducks his head away from Genma's touch, shoulders still trembling slightly. Shinobi suicide rates are high at the moment, and no one's game enough to start talking about it like it's a weakness and Shisui's no exception to feeling that way.

Genma presses the glass of water into Shisui's hand. He'd take 'I don't know' over 'yes' any day.

And plus, Shisui's still with them now. He didn't follow through with it in the end and maybe between himself, Raidou and the kids they can give Shisui more reasons to get up in the morning.

"It's okay not to know. It's okay to feel like that, but remember we're all here for you. None of us are going anywhere. I'll drag you back from the edge whenever you need it okay?"

Shisui sniffs and wipes his nose on his pyjama sleeve, nodding. His cheeks are flushed, a great contrast to his white and grey face.

"Sorry," Shisui says and tries to pull away but Genma catches his shoulder and eases him back against him. When was the last time that Shisui really confided in someone about how he was feeling beyond if he was mission fit? When was the last time someone looked at Shisui and saw beyond the Uchiha prodigy and saw the boy? Saw the child that was drowning under the horrendous amount of pressure and ridiculous expectation?

"Don't ever be sorry for feeling, and never apologise for something like this." Genma runs his hand through Shisui's hair and feels a bit of the tension leave his shoulders. "If anything I'm impressed. That was very brave of you to tell me, and I'm very thankful that you did."

Genma takes the now empty glass out of Shisui's hand and puts it down on the floor. Shisui's giving him a dubious look but Genma just shakes his head.

"I'm serious. It's easier to lie about these things."

Genma's lost friends to suicide before, and he almost worked himself into his grave after Minato's death.

Where Shisui is now is a good place as any to start.

Shisui blinks up at him with tired eyes and lets himself rest against Genma's chest. "I don't know how to fix this though."

Genma tugs on a stray curl. "You don't have to know. We'll figure it out together."

"What if we don't?" Shisui says.

Genma's lets him ask the questions. He's sure Shisui already knows the answers, but he needs to get this out now.

"We will," Genma replies and he hesitates for a moment before he takes a deep breath.

"I was on the Hokage guard platoon for the Yondaime. After his death I-" he pauses and considers how he's supposed to tell this story. He doesn't want to make this about him, he just wants Shisui to know that he's not the first shinobi to stop caring if he wakes up in the morning.

Shisui tenses slightly at Genma's words, likely anticipating where this story is going.

"I worked myself into the dirt. And I didn't really care what happened. I didn't realise what I was doing until Raidou yelled at me."

He runs a hand through Shisui's hair. "So, I get it. I'm not trying to invalidate your experience. I just want you know that you can get through this, and you don't have to do this alone. I'm here no matter what."

Shisui stares at him for a painfully long moment. Eventually, he slowly wraps his arms around Genma, like he isn't entirely sure how hugs work but it's probably one of the gentlest and soothing hugs Genma's ever had.

"Thanks for telling me," Shisui whispers, voice growing hoarse and pained.

Genma returns the hug and starts rubbing slow circles on Shisui's back.

"The kids and Raidou are worried about you, you ready to see them or do you want to stay here a bit longer?" Genma asks, resting his chin on top of Shisui's mass of loose curls.

Shisui lets out a contemplative sound and grips Genma a little tighter. Genma can guess the answer, and Raidou will understand if he doesn't let them all back in straight away.

Nightmares can throw people off, and sometimes it's hard to snap out of it straight away and as experienced shinobi, they both know that well.

"Can… can we just stay here a bit?" the words are quiet and hesitant.

With no parents for the majority of Shisui's young life, Shisui likely received as much physical affection as any other orphan – not much.

Genma's hardly the best substitute, but there's no way in hell he's depriving Shisui of time like this. Shisui's a shinobi, but he's also just a kid.

"We'll stay as long as you need it."

Shisui mumbles out a thanks, exhaustion creeping up on him. Genma repositions Shisui's more comfortably against his chest so he won't wake up with an aching neck.

Genma doesn't consider himself the best _person_ let alone a good father figure, but he's going to put his all in for these kids.

He's going to put in his all to help Shisui. He's not going to let anyone else throw themselves down the self-destructive pathway he did.

No way in hell.

* * *

 **I DID THE THING**

 **I don't have any ideas for continuing this, so if there's anything you want to see let me know otherwise this might just end here!**

 **Comments are the best motivation!**


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